GCG Gardener Handbook

  

Introduction and Overview

The Gethsemane Community Garden (GCG), located at the corner of 4th Avenue South and 10th Street, is a collaboration between community neighbors, businesses, and organizations.

Mission Statement

To cultivate a sustainable community garden in an urban setting. To create a welcoming green space open to all to promote ongoing ties of cooperation and understanding with and within our diverse local community. To mitigate healthy food inequality by donating our fresh produce to neighborhood food shelves

Vision Statement

To enhance the livability of our community by greening the neighborhood, creating an attractive space for the enjoyment of our neighbors, and educating local residents about the value of sustainable gardening in order to grow food for their own consumption.

Values of GCG

  • Create a safe and non-threatening environment for all people, especially children
  • Practice open, honest, and respectful communications that include attentive listening
  • Respect diversity and foster a sense of community
  • Apply a strong work ethic and be accountable for your actions and inactions
  • Take pride in what you do while  applying humility when appropriate
  • Share knowledge and model behavior
  • Nurture our youth so they develop healthy eating practices
  • Rejuvenate the earth and the environment organically.

Garden Contact Information

Garden Site

Corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street, Minneapolis.

Garden Plots & Fees

Gardeners are required to pay the correct plot fee, for the plot size before by the required date. For information about garden fees and plot prices, see the commitment form.

Garden fees include the maintenance of shared irrigating equipment, garden tools, locked storage spaces and trash. These expenses can become costly, at which point the basic garden fee may be exceeded. If you can donate to the garden beyond your yearly plot fee to help alleviate some of these costs, please include the amount in your payment or use the Venmo option on the website or on the signage posted on the garden fencing.

If a gardener, or gardener group adopts an abandoned plot during the season, the plot must be relinquished the following year. Garden plots cannot be transferred to another person without the approval of the Garden Board Membership Coordinator (currently Krissy Fair) or the GCG Board.


Important Dates

  1. March 15th, 2026  – A Commitment Form and a signed Handbook acknowledgement form and plot payment must ALL be completed by this date in order to secure your plot for the current season.
  2. April 22nd, 2026 -ALL Gardeners Meeting – Required attendance by a gardener (or representative) from each plot.  
  3. June 1st – Gardeners must have their plot at least half planted.
  4. July 1st – Gardeners must have their plot fully planted.
  5. October 31st – Gardeners are responsible for removing dead plants and debris from their garden plot. ***Note: This date may be extended depending on the length of the growing season. ***

Consequences for missing these dates:

  • If any gardener fails to meet the deadlines listed above: the plot will be considered abandoned and re-assigned with no refund provided.
  • If a plot is not cleaned up by October 31st or fails to meet any other of the above listed dates, gardeners can be assigned a smaller/different plot or be denied a plot the next year.

Garden Plots

Garden Plots are assigned before the start of the growing season. In general, returning gardeners may keep the same plot(s) year after year. New/additional plot requests may be requested on the website.

Each Garden plot is assigned a shelf within the locked shed for storing personal gardening items. Items on the specific numbered/named shelves are for that plot owner and are not intended to be shared without permission. Items on the community garden shelf and any items not on the shelves are shared by all gardeners. By leaving your tools, you consent to their use by fellow gardeners, and you acknowledge that neither the garden nor any of its oversight entities are responsible for the proper treatment of the equipment in the shed, nor are they liable for the theft of tools or any other items in the garden shed or the garden itself. If you do not wish for your tools to be used communally, you should store them on your shelf or take your tools each time you come to and leave the garden.

Maintenance of Garden Plots

  1. Gardeners agree to actively garden, weed, irrigate and maintain the entire plot. Plots must be kept free of weeds, pests and diseases. Weeds and dead plant material must be removed promptly) and produce must be harvested in a timely manner.  A plot that does not meet these requirements will be considered abandoned and re-assigned with no refund provided or gardeners can be assigned a smaller/different plot or be denied a plot the next year. Please see the Minnesota Invasive Species Advisory Council for more  information.
  1. We operate based on an “opt-out” policy toward extra vegetables. If the food shelf harvest team notices excess perishable fruits in any plot and indications are that fruit may go to waste, they will harvest and donate. If you have plans for the fruits just let the harvest team know. If you harvest extra any other day, you may place that in the “Share Shelf” for passersby.
  1. Gardeners may not expand the plot beyond the measurement or into paths or other plots. However, each gardener will be responsible for keeping the pathways within 1’ of their plot or garden bed free of rocks, weeds, and all obstacles, including encroaching or overhanging plants. The Board reserves the right to remove materials obstructing any public path at any time.
  1. All refuse needs to be removed except for items which can be composted in the designated area or in a gardener’s own plot.
  1. Gardeners will water their plot(s) according to water-wise guidelines and return hoses to their place in an orderly manner. Sprinklers are not permitted.
  1. Be considerate by planting tall or spreading/creeping crops where they will have the least impact on neighboring gardeners. If an adjacent gardener complains of excessive shading  or crops creeping into another plot by anything on your plot you must come to an agreement or remove it.
  1. Fencing of individual plots must be orderly, well maintained, and free of vines.
  1. Gethsemane Community Garden is an organic garden. Gardeners will not apply inorganic insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers or rodent poisons. Use of unapproved materials is grounds for immediate forfeiture of your plot, with no refund. Pesticide Information is available from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Only “organic” (non-synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides may be used in the garden.

Volunteer Requirements

Each plot is required to provide at least 10 hours of volunteer service to the garden minimum over the course of the growing season. Gardeners who do not fulfill and log this minimum requirement will forfeit their rights to renew their plot.

Caring for the Giving Garden includes:

  • Watering, weeding, and maintaining plants in the Giving Garden
  • Removing trash plant debris, diseased plants, and damage fruits

 ***Please use gloves when cleaning up***

 Volunteer requirements may be completed in several ways. Please see the website for tasks, dates, and questions.

Examples of Volunteer Opportunities:

  • Maintaining paths
  • Pick up trash in common area and around perimeter
  • Assisting at various events or clean up days
  • Assisting with fundraising
  • Mowing the lawn outside the fence perimeter with a reel mower
  • Cutting down tough weeds outside fence with grass whip
  • Hand weeding the perimeter chain link
  • Dead-heading perennials
  • Irrigating perennials
  • Cutting back to winterize perennials in October
  • Weed perennial plantings
  • Sowing seeds in giving garden in May
  • Irrigating giving garden
  • Weeding giving garden
  • Planting pepper plants in giving garden in May
  • Training 100 cucumber vines on trellising
  • Empty, clean and organize the shed in November
  • Empty the two trash receptacles into the trash roller in Watergate(the fenced area next to the church building) and replace the yellow bag weekly
  • Move the trash roller to the curb every Monday evening for Tuesday pickup
  • Once emptied, move the trash roller back to Watergate
  • Move full yard waste bags from Watergate to the curb every other Monday night for Tuesday pick up
  • Weed around Gethsemane Episcopal Church AND Parish while bagging for the curb to raise $$$
  • Remove Boston Ivy from wall in Watergate every three weeks
  • Harvest for food shelves on Tuesday evenings
  • Weigh and record harvest data using equipment in the shed
  • Drive vegetables to Northpoint Food Shelf
  • Unload and distribute mulch load in common areas
  • Paint or touch up shed
  • Stake and tie peppers in the Giving Garden
  • Secure plant ID to each pepper stake
  • Pick up trash outside garden perimeter and in the common area
  • Lubricate 5 combination locks monthly
  • Weed sidewalk cracks
  • Clean, empty, dry and move umbrella base to shed for winter – move back out in spring
  • Coordinate purchase of new signage as needed
  • Drain and store garden hoses in shed for winter – move back out in spring
  • Drain and dry hose nozzles for winter and store in shed
  • Drain and dry water meter and hose segments for winter
  • Monitor security lighting and report outages
  • Determine requirements, request estimates and place orders for mulch and /or compost

***Failure to meet the minimum volunteer requirements may result, in loss of the plot for the following year. ***

Personal and Social Conduct

It is important to respect each person and their garden plot. Guests and visitors are welcome to visit the site and should feel free to enjoy the space. However, we ask that everyone respect what is grown and stay out of fenced areas. Please take trash with you when you go and leave your pets outside the garden.

  1. Restroom facilities are not available at the garden.
  1. Guests and visitors, including children, must follow all rules, terms, and conditions stated in the garden handbook. Children must always be supervised when they are in the garden. Each gardener is solely responsible for the behavior of their guests.
  1. Animals are not allowed in the garden. If you must bring your animal to the garden, please ensure they are tied up outside of the garden and are not able to walk freely in or around the garden itself.
  1. Communication with the Board is important if there are any issues. All official communications from the Board will be, at a minimum, through the listed plot holder, but may include additional gardeners for important communications (e.g., warnings, emergencies, watering bans etc.). Please use email or the website to provide updates to contact information or problems that might arise. Gardeners may communicate any wants, needs, and/or grievances to the Board by email or through the website.
  1. Gardeners must not plant any illegal plants. In addition, gardeners may not grow marijuana, tobacco, hops, purslane, grasses, clover, brambles (raspberry, blackberry, etc…), arugula, morning glory, mullein or anything listed on the Minnesota Invasive Species List.

  2. Gardeners agree not to smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, use illegal drugs, or gamble in the garden or come to the garden under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Gardeners also must comply with any other City of Minneapolis ordinances that apply to public spaces.
  1. Weapons are not allowed in the garden.
  1. Gardeners will not share lock combinations with another person. Furthermore, gardeners will adequately “scramble” the digits on the combination lock(s) to avoid accidental disclosures of the combination and to secure the shackle.
  1. Gardeners will respect the physical and emotional space of other gardeners and will not harass, injure, or threaten other gardeners or members of the local community.
  1. From time to time as we interact with the community, folks will approach us asking for assistance. We encourage you to provide verbal assistance while also maintaining your own personal safety. There are some printed resources in the shed, otherwise here are some linkable resources:

Handbook of the Streets – Minneapolis

Handbook of the Streets – St. Paul

St. Stephens Street Outreach

Downtown Minneapolis Community Storage

Downtown Minneapolis Public Restrooms

Consequences for Failing to Meet all of the Above Requirements

  • Severe and or egregious failure to meet the personal and social conduct requirements may result in consequences equal to the severity of the breach in requirements, including the immediate exclusion of a gardener or group of gardeners. Such consequences are to be determined and executed at the discretion of the Board. 
  • Moderate infractions, as to be determined by the discretion of the Board, may result in the following: 
  • One verbal warning from the Board.
  • If no response or correction has been made, you may will receive a written notice one week later.
  • In one more week, if no response or correction has been made, you may receive written final notification that you have forfeited your gardening privileges, plot and fees.
  • You may be allowed to reapply for another garden plot only after one year, and only at the discretion of the Board.

Health and Safety Policy

This safety policy is intended to demonstrate that the Gethsemane Community Garden recognizes our responsibility to conduct our gardening activities in a reasonable manner and to maintain reasonably healthy and safe conditions in the Community Garden.

For the purposes of this policy, any reference to the Gethsemane Community Garden, GCG, “the garden” or “the garden site” means the general boundaries of the gardens.

  1. Adult gardeners are responsible for their own safety. Children of gardeners are expected to be under the control of their parent(s) or guardian(s) when at the garden site. Do not allow children to run in the garden or play on the roadway.
  1. If you see a hazard, unsafe condition, or a situation that could result in injury or ill health, take the appropriate action. Eliminate the hazard or unsafe condition only if you can do it safely and are comfortable taking the action to correct the hazard or unsafe condition. Otherwise, notify the Board as soon as possible.
  1. Rototillers, lawn mowers, power weed trimmers, woodchippers, chain saws, or other power equipment will be operated in the garden only by individuals over the age of 16 who own the equipment or have themselves leased the equipment for use. These individuals use this equipment at their own risk.
  1. The use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizer is strictly forbidden.
  1. Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid being in the garden alone. Avoid secluded areas with high vegetation. If individuals or groups of people taunt, bother, or seem threatening, leave the situation immediately.
  • For life threatening or other significant incidents, call 911 immediately. Also, call a member of the Board.
  • For minor, non-emergency incidents gardeners may notify Minneapolis Police dispatch at 612-348-2345. Also, contact the Board as soon as possible.
  1. Do not leave garden tools at the garden site. They should be taken away from the garden when you leave and placed in the garden shed for safe keeping.
  1. Drugs or alcohol shall not be consumed on the garden site.
  1. Urination and defecation in the garden area are not allowed.
Clear Signature

Thank you for continuing to make Gethsemane Community Garden a welcome retreat for our community!
We are looking forward to another wonderful growing season!

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